CuriositiesJAN 30, 2023

People Are Sharing Harsh Realities That No One Wants To Accept (50 Answers)

If you were lucky, you had a lovely childhood where things just made sense. Life seemed fair. Everyone was treated equally. Good behavior was encouraged and rewarded, and as long as you worked hard, respected others and tried your best, everything would just magically work out!

As adults, we’re well aware that that’s a very naïve way of looking at the world, but to avoid raising cynical, pessimistic children, we often allow little ones to view life through rose-colored glasses. “Eventually, they’ll figure out the truth for themselves,” we think. But unfortunately, even if someone is an adult when they receive a reality check, the harsh truths of life can be extremely challenging to accept.

Reddit users have been opening up about the brutal realities of life that hit them the hardest, so we’ve gathered some of their most eye-opening and heart-breaking responses below. If you’re struggling with any of these ideas too, know that you’re not alone, pandas. Remember to upvote the pills that have been particularly hard for you to swallow as well, and keep reading to also find an interview with Louisa Davis, editor for The Mind's Journal. Then if you’re interested in diving even deeper into this topic, you can find another Bored Panda article featuring a similar discussion right here!

More info: Reddit | Reddit

#1

People Are Sharing Harsh Realities That No One Wants To Accept (50 Answers)

That just because I was an abuse victim for 20 years it doesn't mean that things are automatically going to start getting better without me trying. A winning lottery ticket, or my dream job, isn't just going to fall into my lap - I'm not owed a good future just because I had a s**t past

DyingCatastrophy, Pixabay

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321points

To gain some more insight on this topic, we reached out to the team at The Mind's Journal, and Editor Louisa Davis was kind enough to have a conversation with us. First, we wanted to know what Louisa considers some of the hardest realities to accept and if she has personally struggled with any of them. "The harsh realities that I would consider hard to accept are: failure; you can’t rely on anyone; you can’t control everything in life; expectations lead to disappointment; no one can completely understand you; betrayal in a relationship," she told Bored Panda.

"One of the realities that was particularly hard for me to come to terms with is - 'Expectations'," Louisa shared. "The pain of high expectations of others is very deep. Hoping for an outcome I desire, thinking about what others should or shouldn't do, and then feeling overwhelmed when things don’t go as expected always undermined my relationships and happiness."

#2

No matter what earth-shattering, soul-wrenching event has happened to *you*--the death of a loved one, a scary diagnosis--the rest of the world will keep moving even though yours has been rocked. Life goes on.

ibettyou, Sofia Alejandra

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291points

#3

Cutting ties with toxic family member is necessary, it doesn’t matter if their blood you have to do what’s best for you

Miznova97, Andrea Piacquadio

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270points

We also asked Louisa why it's so common for people to have a hard time accepting reality. "People find it hard because the truth is extremely uncomfortable, which is why most people live in denial," she explained. "Also, people fear that accepting reality means accepting that their values or beliefs or their actions and decisions were wrong. Accepting mistakes makes one feel guilty, whereas self-pity and self-victimization offer comfort, while drifting you away from reality."

#4

My girlfriend isn’t coming back.

I was 30, she was 27, she died. I had all these hopes and plans for a life together. It sounds ridiculous, but the realisation that she is dead and never coming back took me a long time to fully accept. I kept having dreams where she was alive, only to have to wake up and realise it was only a dream. I’m not superstitious, but I kept hoping she would come back in some form, even just for ten minutes, so we could talk.

peat_reek, Nathan Cowley

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253points

#5

You can't be anything you want. You can be whatever your skill level, intellect and money will allow. So that means I am too poor to be president, too clumsy to be a trapeze artist and too number dumb to be an astronaut.

NicolawsCatpernicus, Ana Bregantin

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238points

Louisa also shared some advice for anyone out there who may be struggling coming to terms with harsh realities. "Please be open minded and learn to see things in life from a broader perspective," she told Bored Panda. "Some more helpful tips are: take responsibility; develop high self-awareness; practice self-love; seek constructive criticism; pray daily; meditate daily; practice the law of attraction."

Louisa also opened up about how praying has helped her accept some of life's harsh truths. "I pray for wisdom and the power to take the right actions because I believe in the law of cause and effect," she shared. "The mantra that helps me most is 'I am responsible for everything that happens to me and everything that I attract in my life'. Aside from that, I am practicing the law of attraction to manifest what I want. Prayers and meditation have helped me connect with my higher purpose in life."

#6

You can try your best with 100% effort and things still may not work out

Awonggins

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225points

#7

You can be do your best to be as nice and considerate of the feelings of everyone you meet, and still end up hurting people.

Not even from doing anything *wrong*.

Just from people being complicated.

Werunos, Armin Rimoldi

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189points

Finally, Louisa added, "I deeply believe that spirituality is important to be able to accept and deal with the toxicity around us and the harsh realities of life. Being spiritual helps one experience positive emotions and take charge of their relationships, happiness, health, and overall well-being."

If you'd like to hear more words of wisdom from the team at The Mind's Journal, you can find their website right here and an article on this same topic right here!

#8

Your pet won't be around forever.

ikindalold

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163points

#9

For me, personally, it was accepting that I would always be abnormal, due to having dwarfism. It will be a social barrier in life for many people I meet, it will no doubt impact how people perceive me, my personality and my abilities, and it is something that many people will find hard to get past, mentally. There will be things I am physically incapable of doing, and people will patronise me. I will always get unwanted attention on a daily basis, and will struggle romantically, due to people equating me with a child.

The reality of all these things hit me when I was about 12 years old, which was a lot to process. I got very angry and bitter about my lot in life, and it kind of dominated my teenage years.

But I *have* accepted it, and I'm pretty cool with my life now. I wouldn't change it for the world. It made me who I am, and I love who I am. It was hard to come to terms with when I was young, definitely, but I feel so secure now, as a result. People tell me they envy that about me.

Usidore_, Ron Lach

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158points

#10

When people you love get dementia and waste away. You mourn them while they’re still alive

Cutesy_blogger

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157points

#11

Even if you are truly sorry for what you have done, people do not have to accept your apology and sometimes you will never be forgiven for your actions.

Renoroshambo

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150points

#12

Friendships come and go.

It's a luxury to be friends with anyone for an extended period of time, let alone into adulthood.

Yeah, you get lucky with certain people who you're still friends with, but then you get people who just couldn't care less about you when you drift apart (as it will happen to just about anyone). It sucks, but that's life.

anon, Helena Lopes

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146points

#13

This is going to get buried, but: I wish someone had told me earlier that being good at something doesn't mean it'll make you happy. It took six years of theatrical carpentry and entertainment design for me to get this before I realized I wanted to go into the medical field.

uglyhag

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146points